Tag: wine

Looking for free stuff? Here’s a list of free monthly activities to do in Maine for 2017.

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Last September, my family and I did the Living Well Spending Zero challenge from Ruth Soukup. As part of the challenge, we spent minimal money for the entire month. No groceries, no entertainment, no take-out. We allowed ourselves a small amount of cash at the start of the month for minor necessities, and activities that had already been planned, but that was it. We ate through the food in our refrigerator and pantry, learned to ration our seltzer, and went to some free events like the Fork Food Lab grand opening.

Overall, we did a great job, or at least until the last day of the month when our cat came down with a UTI, and we had to do an emergency visit to the vet complete with x-rays, anesthesia, and multiple antibiotics, all of which negated most of our savings from our zero spend month. Still it was a fun, creative experiment and one we would definitely try again. More importantly, our cat, other than one minor setback, is doing great now.

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Unexpected Delights at Foulmouthed Brewpub in South Portland

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There was a time when my family headed to Quebec City during the cold winter months to enjoy winter carnival. We would see amazing ice sculptures and huddle for warmth inside small, cozy bars. One of the biggest memories from these trips up north was discovering poutine for the first time.

Eating fries smothered in thick gravy and topped with cheese is probably useful in the dead of winter when you need as much body fat as you can muster, but it’s not something you want to eat every day. For a long time, it remained our special treat when we crossed the border, but in the last few years I’ve noticed this food dish having its moment in Maine. While basic poutine can be found easily these days, some of our local chefs have jazzed up the recipe and put their own spin on it.

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Apple Picking at Apple Acres Farm in Hiram, Maine

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Fall brings with it many rituals. Apple picking is one of those activities so when the weather starts to get crisp, and the leaves begin to change, you’ll find me headed to an apple orchard. Things have been a little hectic this year, so I was a little later than usual in venturing to an orchard, but fortunately it’s a fairly long season in Maine and there were still many varieties of applies ripe for picking.

After a hearty breakfast at Krista’s Restaurant in Cornish where I enjoyed a meat lover’s omelet overflowing with filling, my friend and I headed to nearby Apple Acres Farm. As we approached the farm, the neat even rows of apple trees could be seen on each side of the road. The weather was perfect for apple picking and the countryside was starting to show a colorful fall palette making everything especially picturesque.

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Cellardoor at the Point and Black Dinah Chocolates | Food and Wine Pairing

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While my husband is the craft beer lover in our family, I lean more towards wine so I was extremely excited when I learned that Cellardoor Winery was opening a tasting room at Thompson’s Point (Cellardoor at the Point). I didn’t have much experience with their wine, other than a brief stop into their original Lincolnville location while visiting Belfast a few years back, but I was looking forward to learning more.

As they have settled into their Portland location, in addition to their tasting room, they’ve continued to add a variety of events to their schedule. One event that I especially enjoy is their complimentary food and wine pairings. It’s such a great opportunity to try interesting local foods along with a sampling of Cellardoor wines.

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#atozchallenge | F is for Flavors of Freeport

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Flavors of Freeport is an annual event held in February in Freeport Maine that highlights the amazing food and drink options available in the area. While the major cornerstones of the event are an Ice Bar at the Hilton Garden Inn with a dance party on Friday night followed by the Chef’s Signature Series on Saturday evening, we decided it would be fun to head up during the day on Saturday to try some of the smaller tastings offered at many of the local shops.

Hands-On Chocolate Factory Tour

Wilbur’s Chocolate of Maine, 174 Lower Main Street | Cost is $4.50 per person

We started off by stopping into Wilbur’s Chocolate of Maine to check out their shop and take their hands-on factory tour to learn about Wilbur’s history, chocolate making, and enjoy some chocolate samples. I had never been into the store before, and it was amazing to see how large their chocolate selection was. They were gearing up for Easter while we were there so there were lots of selections of Easter Bunnies. We learned that Wilbur’s is one of the few places left that still make solid, non-hollow bunnies. The store also has a nice selection of products for sale from local Maine vendors.

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